Targeting Chronic and Age-Related Diseases
Clinical Program: CB4211 for NASH & Obesity
CB4211 is our novel, refined analog of MOTS-c, a naturally occurring mitochondrial peptide discovered by Dr. Pinchas Cohen and his academic collaborators in 2012. Their research in cell-based assays and animal models indicated that MOTS-c plays a significant role in the regulation of metabolism. Certain of the original MOTS-c studies were published in an article entitled “The Mitochondrial-Derived Peptide, MOTS-c, Promotes Metabolic Homeostasis and Reduces Obesity and Insulin Resistance,” which appeared in the March 3, 2015 edition of the journal Cell Metabolism.
In preclinical studies conducted by CohBar, CB4211 demonstrated significant therapeutic potential for the treatment of NASH, showing improvements in triglyceride levels, as well as favorable effects on liver enzyme markers associated with NAFLD and NASH. CB4211 also demonstrated significant therapeutic potential for the treatment of obesity, demonstrating significantly greater weight loss together with more selective reduction of fat mass versus lean mass in comparison to a market-leading obesity drug in DIO mice. The therapeutic effects of CB4211 have been further evaluated in the well-established Stelic Animal Model (STAM™) of NASH. In this model, treatment with CB4211 resulted in a significant reduction of the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease activity score, or NAS, a composite measure of steatosis (fat accumulation), inflammation and hepatocyte ballooning (cellular injury). Data from these studies were presented at the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD) 2017 Liver Meeting® in October, 2017.
In addition to the therapeutic potential indicated by the preclinical models described above, data were presented at the 2018 American Diabetes Association meeting providing in vitro evidence that CB4211 inhibits adipocyte lipolysis, a process that is foundational in the development of liver steatosis, through an insulin-dependent mechanism. This data provides a potential mechanistic explanation for previous observations in vivo, including efficacy of CB4211 in animal models of NASH, and antisteatotic effects on livers of mice on a high fat diet, where a corresponding reduction in circulating fat and biomarkers of liver damage was also observed. The activity of CB4211 appears to involve sensitizing insulin action on the insulin receptor.
In November 2019, we announced the completion of the Phase 1a portion of the clinical trial, with the drug being well-tolerated, and the commencement of the recruiting phase of the final Phase 1b stage of the study. On March 30, 2020, we announced a delay in the completion of our Phase 1b study due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The delay was a result of a pause by some of our clinical research organization partners in all of their activities related to the study in response to COVID-19. On July 7, 2020, we announced the resumption of our Phase 1b study. In March 2021, we completed the enrollment for the Phase 1b clinical trial. While topline data is expected at the end of the second quarter of 2021, it is dependent upon a number of factors such as the last patient visit, and therefore, we cannot predict with certainty when such data will be available.
Preclinical Programs
CB5138 Analogs for IPF and other Fibrotic Diseases: Our discovery efforts have identified CB5138 Analogs, a family of novel peptides with potential for use as treatments for fibrotic diseases. In co-cultures of human lung cells, CB5138-1 decreased the expression of key fibrosis biomarkers, including alpha smooth muscle actin (αSMA), and collagen types I and III. CB5138-1 also decreased the transformation of healthy lung cells into fibrotic cells after induction by TGFbeta1, resulting in reduced production of the fibrotic components αSMA and pro-collagen I alpha 1. In vivo, CB5138-1 decreased lung fibrosis and inflammation in both the prophylactic mouse model of IPF, initiating treatment with the peptide immediately after fibrosis induction by bleomycin, and in the therapeutic mouse model of IPF, starting peptide treatment one week after induction. In addition, using the more exacting therapeutic model of IPF, two new analogs of CB5138 (CB5138-2 and CB5138-3) significantly reduced lung fibrosis assessed by the Ashcroft Score, reduced inflammation, and decreased fibrosis-related changes in lung weight, collagen deposition in lung tissue, and collagen secretion into lung fluid. In addition, we have demonstrated that a CB5138 Analog has enhanced effects when combined with nintedanib, the leading treatment for IPF, suggesting potential utility for combination therapy in IPF. In the first quarter of 2021, we identified CB5138-3 as the lead clinical candidate in this program and our goal is to initiate IND-enabling activities with the potential to file an IND in 2022.
CB5064 Analogs for ARDS, including COVID-19 Associated ARDS: Our internal discovery efforts have identified CB5064 Analogs, a family of peptides that are agonists of the apelin receptor with potential for use as therapeutics for COVID-19 associated ARDS and ARDS in general. In May 2020, we initiated testing of CB5064 Analogs in preclinical models of ARDS. In the preclinical studies, acute lung injury was induced in mice by administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a bacterial toxin that produces similar symptoms to other causes of ARDS, including fluid accumulation and cytokine secretion. A single dose of CB5064 Analog was administered one hour prior to the LPS exposure and effects on lung weight and levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines were measured at 4 hours after LPS exposure. Treatment with CB5064 Analogs reduced fluid accumulation in the lungs and a corresponding broad reduction in levels of key pro-inflammatory cytokines secreted into the lung fluid, when compared to treatment with a placebo control. We previously demonstrated the beneficial effects of this novel family of peptides on glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity and weight loss in an obese mouse model of T2D, as presented at the American Diabetes Association in 2019. In January 2021, we signed a Non-Clinical Evaluation Agreement (NCEA) with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) initiating a collaboration to evaluate the potential of CB5064 Analogs for the treatment of COVID-19 associated ARDS. In parallel with the work being conducted by NIAID, we are currently performing the required studies in this program to select a candidate. Based on successful outcomes of those studies and additional funding, we will nominate a clinical candidate followed by initiation of pre-IND work in 2021, with the longer-term goal of initiating a Phase 1 study.
CB5046 Analogs for Cancer and Other Disease Indications: Our internal discovery efforts have identified CB5046 Analogs, a family of novel potent and selective peptide inhibitors of CXCR4, a key chemokine receptor involved in tumor growth, metastasis and avoidance of immune surveillance that is overexpressed in 75% of human tumors. CXCR4 is also involved in localization of healthy stem cells and in certain genetic diseases. We have demonstrated positive effects of one of the CB5046 Analogs when administered in combination with chemotherapy in an animal model of aggressive melanoma. We are screening multiple peptide analogs for in vitro activity and plan to explore the potential for use initially in stem cell mobilization and hematologic cancers.
MBT3 Analogs for Cancer Immunotherapy: Our discovery efforts identified a novel peptide family, MBT3 Analogs. We have demonstrated the enhanced killing of cancer cells by human immune cells in the presence of an MBT3 Analog, and plan to further explore the therapeutic potential of this analog family for treatment of cancer, subject to resource availability and the requirements of our more-advanced programs.
CohBar Peptide Library
Our discovery efforts have resulted in the identification of more than 100 previously unidentified peptides encoded within the mitochondrial genome and we have generated over 1,000 analogs. We continue to explore the broad biological effects of these peptides and their potential application as novel therapeutics. Our criteria include examining MDP analogs with the greatest commercial and therapeutic potential, the most suitable development and clinical resources, and the broadest intellectual property protection and exploitation opportunities.